Second Breakdown
by Wolfox Okamichan
Summary: Star Fox is about to engage a mission with a friend to intercept the ransom exchange. However, little does the team realizes that their companion has his own way of handling things...
1. In Due Time

**Second Breakdown**

Disclaimer: All of Star Fox characters, names, trademarks, etc. are owned by Nintendo. Anything else belongs to me.

**NOTE!**

Anyway, this story is the sequel to my other story, _Red Alert_, which is obviously another Star Fox fanfiction. However, the connections are just small, so you can actually** understand the main idea without reading that story**. Still, for those of you who wish to extract everything, then go ahead and read it.

**Chapter 1 – In Due Time**

A few weeks ago, in an abandoned laboratory in Terra System, there was this female weasel scientist named Artemis. Wearing black robes and thick glasses, she sat down on a dusty processor. She was scavenging the files on a broken down computer, as if she was looking for something important.

"Don, dear, finished with that pile?" she asked as she continued to scan the monitor.

A bulky tiger wearing brown sleeveless shirt, black pants, and black boots, stared at her and groaned, "Sorry, milady, but there's nothing here worth while." He then grabbed another parcel and unloaded it, only to find out that nothing was in there.

"There's nothing in this crap!" she complained as she squandered on the drawers at the desk. An object suddenly caught her eye. It was a bit dusty, but something in it grabbed her attention. It was an old recorder hologram, an object that resembled a digital camera.

She took it and activated it. The device showed a three-dimensional image of an anatomy, with small boxes of DNA and cells shown at the same time. A voice was also speaking while it was being presented.

_Kane's log entry is commencing…_

_Ahem…_

_I have finally found the way to evolve an entity! I've just heard that a certain virus called the **CEL** could inhabit a host's genes and cells, allowing it to evolve in the process. These viruses were created to follow orders of the creator as well. The informer named James was actually giving me a good deal. With this holographic data, he proved to me that such things exist! Now, my dream of a world I rule upon on is coming to reality…_

Before the record was finished, she threw it away. She was angered by Kane's goal. "Hmph! Reality? You were easily destroyed and your plan foiled!" she laughed. "Using viruses for evolution simply gives you a weakness. For every virus, hon, a cure can be created."

"So, we just did nothing here? I thought that was useful, my lady," Don commented as he picked it up. The object was still playing, and it suddenly showed an image that Artemis liked.

She once more took it, and proclaimed, "Hmm… The evolution was caused by the sudden change of the genes… Ah… I see!" She then threw it away once more, and then, she walked towards the tiger. "Don, I have a question. What if you could control the device that can stabilize your build?"

"Well, I can alter the figure because I have the power to do so," he answered back.

"Precisely!" she complemented him with admiration. "The make-up of a person's DNA is merely but small. If you can control something like the pituitary gland, you can alter the anatomy of a person, and because the gland itself did it, and not some parasite, it cannot be cured! Hah! See that, Kane? You're too narrow-minded to see that!"

"So, what are we going to do now?" Don asked as he opened the door for Artemis. "We need some items to do such altering devices."

"Oh, but remember, I am a woman of many craft," she grinned. "I have enough funding for an object, and our base has enough people, but what we need are guinea pigs. I want you to kidnap five commanders of TERRA Squad. We'll use them for gain…"

* * *

A day before Fox awoken, Galaxy Wulf was preparing to leave. They got an urgent call from TERRA Squad - short for _Tactical Entrapment and Rescue Access Squad_, the main defense force of their home system. They were slightly upset because they were leaving Lylat, and they hadn't spent any time to enjoy with their friends. 

"Tough luck, Garou," Lupina snickered as she punched the ice wolf's shoulder. "Tell you what. I'll be today's cook just to make sure you guys will smile, okay?" Everybody smiled back, especially the ice wolf. He then hugged her, but he was answered by a powerful head knock.

Everybody except Fox was there. Even the General Pepper was there to bid them farewell. They did a great job in stopping Kane from creating a new Lylat. Although destruction had been given, it was a chance to rebuild all that's lost.

"Where's Nebulla Wolf?" Peppy asked Bark, who was finalizing everything. "I thought they were with you after defeating Kane…"

"Well, they really wanted to split early," he answered back while adjusting his glasses. "That's like them, always leaving before the celebration."

"Heh, I never got to see that Rufus character," Wolf mumbled in a loud manner so that Wulf could hear it.

"Who knows? Maybe you can meet him," he replied while patting his shoulder. "Oh, and Wolf, please help out Fox, okay. He might get a bit shaky after staying out of Star Fox for two years. Try to fight him for a while to tense him up." The grey wolf grinned, and he just nodded. "Oh, look at the time… See you later, guys! Maybe next time, we get to have a mission back here!"

"**Farewell!**"

"**We'll see each other again…!**"

After a few minutes after the take-off, Wulf relaxed himself at the captain's seat. "Phew, finally, time to sit down," he commented as he sipped coffee. "All right, open up the communication."

"Confirmed," Eagle complied. The monitor in front of them projected the TERRA Squad emblem, and then, the image of a female general named Anita Alexix, a white wolf.

"General," Wulf saluted. "I've gotten the message, but I need clarification in this…"

"Wulf," she explained clearly, "listen, here's the situation: five of our newly-assigned commanders were kidnapped. A note was left, and it detailed that a certain person named Don, a once captain of a platoon in TERRA Squad, abducted them. However, the message also told us that a scientist going by the name Artemis was the ringleader. Here's the message." A voice tag was then played.

_Listen here, TERRA Squad! We have your five commanders here. Don't worry, though! I'm treating them properly. They're well fed, cleaned, and such, but what I like about them is that they don't complain about being chained! Anyway, Don, the military man you kicked out, kidnapped them. What do we do with them? Well, it depends… Give us 10,000,000 DL in my account shown in this message, and I'll free them. However, pay lower or do something I will not like, then prepare to lose them! I will evolve them! That's right, an incurable state! So, what will it be? Oh, just in case you wanted to know me, I'm Artemis, Kane's colleague…_

"Kane's colleague?" Garou suddenly reacted. "Hey, that mean's…"

"Yes," Gen. Anita continued, "she might have an idea on the evolution. The fact that she said _incurable state_ hints us that she may develop a stronger pathogen… but anyway… there's another reason why I called you… especially you, Wulf McWolf…" An image of a ship, broken down and almost torn apart, was displayed. Wulf felt that it was familiar.

"Hey, that's… **El Condore!** That's my parents' starship! What…" he suddenly burst.

"We were able to track a distress signal, so we sent out aid ships there. We found out that an ambush occurred here. The crews of the ship were already taken to hospital, so Aramias, George, and your mother are in good hands now… but your father… he's missing… A note was also left… It's from Artemis…" A blurry video of a wolf shackled to a wall, leaning down to the floor, was showed to the tensed wolf.

_This will be my insurance. If Galaxy Wulf intervened, I'll evolve his father, Lupus! A great soldier and adventurer like him must be a good collection in my evolved soldiers!_

"I leave you the decision for us to give the ransom or not… Don't worry, your father has given us so much that we will pay the ransom…"

"No," Wulf growled as he shook his fist, "I'm going to save him and the commanders, and I will make sure he won't be evolved as well as the others…"

* * *

It was already today. Inside Artemis' base, one of her soldiers was fastened to a bed. His outfit was stripped off, leaving him with minimal clothing. Pads were placed on his chest, wrist, and thigh, as they were used for detecting. A metal band was placed to his head, and well, terror beckoned him. 

"Ready?" Artemis asked to Don. "Is he properly secured?"

"Yes, madam," he confirmed it.

The soldier cried out in fear. However, he was too late. An impulse of waves traveled to his head. He breathed out slowly and evenly, before he cried out again. Soon, he stopped. The readings on Don's monitor showed no life signs. He was dead.

"Not again!" Artemis shouted in fury. "I can't believe I miscalculated!" She then readjusted the configuration in the computer. "What? The waves were perfect! How come it didn't work?"

"Maybe because there wasn't balance, or maybe you're rushing things, my love," he suggested as he took the soldier off. "Try making the waves to alter the brain slowly…"

She thought about his suggestion. "Hmm, you're probably right," she whimpered as she changed a few of the controls. "Okay, get me another soldier." However, she saw him undressing himself and putting the headband on. "What, what are you doing?"

"Well, I want you to evolve me, so that it'll work… I know you trust me, milady," he insisted, "and I trust you… with my life. If I risk myself, I know you'll do your best…" He then placed the pads to his chest, wrist, and thigh.

"Don… All right, I'll let you do it…"

She turned on the device once more. Waves surged into the tiger's head. He felt an intense pain gathering in him. Artemis was about to stop it, until she saw something. He didn't die. Physical alterations were showing up. His muscles were growing and expanding; his fangs were sharpening; his nails were growing.

Minutes had passed since the evolution was successful. Artemis opened up a locked dark room. In it contained a smoke grey wolf chained to the wall. He was still covered in blood, as stains from his fur can be seen. He was Lupus, Wulf's father.

"Heh, trying to scare me? Sorry girl, but it won't work," he mumbled.

"Oh really?" she grinned. "Don, be a dear and please come in!" A muscular figure suddenly entered the room. Lupus was surprised to see an evolved creature. "What were you saying?"

"How… how did you?"

"Simple," she explained as she touched the tiger's chest. "By altering the brain using electric waves, it changes the function of the pituitary gland, allowing the person to grow into a more powerful form. Because the body was not infected, it cannot be cured! It is as if the body changed because it wanted to… It transformed itself!"

Don suddenly grabbed the wolf to the neck. Artemis approached him and chuckled, "Lupus, you're going to be just like him, along with the others who are waiting to be evolved!"

* * *


	2. Sleuth

**Second Breakdown**

Disclaimer: All of Star Fox characters, names, trademarks, etc. are owned by Nintendo. Anything else belongs to me.

**Review Report (as of June 16, 2005):**

_Kane3_ – Hmm… actually, it's not you, unless you're a demented scientist who likes to evolve people for the sake of ruling an entire system! If you wish to know this Kane, I suggest you to read the prequel Red Alert, another Star Fox fic of mine!

**End of Report**

Again, for you to learn the background information on Kane, the evolution incident in Corneria, James, and the appearance of Galaxy Wulf, read the prequel.

**

* * *

****Chapter 2 – Sleuth**

"Say, did Wolf and his company receive the message?" Slippy wondered as he commanded to the console an increase of speed. "We're already five-hundred light years away from the farthest planet in Lylat, so we're in neutral space territory until about two-hundred light years. I doubt that Wolfens can surpass the speed of a starship, and even in Great Fox, it'll take about an hour before it reaches the capital planet in Terra System…"

"We have no time to worry about that, okay," Fox shrugged while seated on the captain's chair. "Look, we only sent him a message requesting a help. It's up to him and his gang if he helps out or not. Speaking of which, don't you think he'll revive Star Wolf again?"

Falco tapped the fox's shoulder and grinned, "That sounds great, then! I miss the good ol' bitchin' time when I kept tearing Leon's wing with laser!" Fox laughed along the way. Yes, he too missed having dogfights with Wolf.

"Well then, what do you guys intend to do?" James asked them as he carried a toolbox containing tools for setting up a vehicle. "Peppy and I will be fixing the Arwings… Say, Falco, why not give us a hand?" He simply replied with a nod, since it's hard to argue with a person having physical strength like James. They then moved towards the docking bay for the modifications.

"I'll take some java. How about you, Slipster?" the vulpine asked the frog. "Will I get you one?"

"Decaf, Fox," he replied.

After a few minutes, Fox returned while carrying two mugs filled with coffee. "Here you go Slippy!"

"Thanks Fox," he answered back in his usual high-toned voice. When he took his first sip, the console suddenly alarmed him about an incoming message. "Huh? Take a look at this Fox! It's from Space Den! It's from Galaxy Wulf!"

"Really? Put it on!" the fox suddenly jerked out, almost spilling the caffeine around his jacket. "Aw, shit! Anyway, here he is."

At the monitor, Wulf's image appeared. By the looks of his face, he could mean something bad.

_Fox, this is Wulf McWolf…_

"You're clear here! All right, what's the news?"

_I know I'm putting my personal life here, but… the kidnappers, they took my father too…_

"They took who, your father? That's…"

_They used him as an insurance policy... They'll evolve him and the soldiers if I do something funny before or during the ransom exchange. Please, you have to help me rescue him and the officers... I have a feeling that the ransom is just a trap… And not only that, this Artemis, our enemy, says that her evolution cannot be removed…_

"Wulf…"

_If… if you're willing to help me, go to this coordinates. It's an empty asteroid, but it's large enough for many ships to land. Bark has already placed the artificial atmosphere here…_

"Wulf, you helped me rescue my father from an ambitious dream… I'll save yours too! Don't worry!"

_T-thanks… Fox…_

The message cut off, with Fox McCloud thinking of what the wolf had done to him. "He really needs our help, _my_ help," he sighed out. "All right, Slippy. Did you get all of the coordinates? We'll head there as soon as possible."

"…already resetting our course!" he answered with eagerness. "I can't wait to see them once more, and their Terran technology! I want to know that _artificial atmosphere_ device! Oh, I'll tell the others too!"

* * *

"Here's some orange juice," Lupina told Wulf as she sat beside him. They were at the lounge of Space Den, Galaxy Wulf's ship. "So, how's your mom?"

"She's all right," he replied with a worried look. "Aramias and George are also fine… I'm just worried about my dad… I can't let that Artemis character evolve him! If that happens, I don't know what I'm about to do…" His hand that was holding the mug shook with nervousness. He never had felt such worry. "I… I have to do something…" He suddenly noticed Bark entering the room, so he asked him, "Say, Bark, do you remember the last mission we had? You were able to create an antibody, thanks to my Anatyde. Can you make another one?"

The dog approached the worried wolf. "Wulf", he explained and eased him, "I haven't acquired the data of the virus yet, and something tells me that that Artemis person isn't lying about the evolution being incurable. The only thing I can advice to you is that you should be calm… Keep a clear thinking, because we'll need that… Even if Star Fox will help us, jumping to the foe's base will only make things hard…"

"What do you mean by jumping to the foe's base?"

Eagle, who just recently finished making tea, headed to the lounge carrying a tray containing a teakettle and some small cups, and then continued what Bark was saying. "Bark here was able to trace the origin of the message using the signals. The evil witch's hideout is in Colonium. By scanning the planet's surface, he figured out that it was an abandoned factory of some sort, with hidden laser fences and anti-air turret laser guns."

"Heh, pass me the tea, Eagle!" Garou, who suddenly entered the lounge and butted in the discussion, reacted. "If that's what four-eyes meant about that bitch's base, then we have to get there by using our fighters! It's a good thing I've been keeping my gorgeous Ice Fang II in top condition!"

"Who asked you?" the smart dog just gritted, making the ice wolf growl. He then heard something landing outside. "Huh? Hmm… Wulf, it looks like we have company… It's them…"

* * *

"**Whoa-ho-ho!**" Falco gasped as he exited the ship without a space suit. "Wow, if we have this stuff in Lylat, we won't need any beach tours! We can take a vacation at a big space rock!"

"Enjoy yourself, Falco Lombardi," Peppy sighed. "Remember though, don't get too far. You might reach the limit of the atmosphere and die!" The bird started to annoy him after hearing such statements.

"Where's Wulf?" Slippy wondered. However, he stopped when he saw Wulf, Bark, Garou, Eagle, and Lupina approaching them. It was noticeable that the leader of Galaxy Wulf was having deep thoughts.

Fox approached him and shook his hand. "Uh, Wulf, it's good to see you," he greeted him. "I know you're having a big burden right now, so at least let me ease it up, okay? Star Fox is ready to help you…"

"Fox…"

"Wulf McWolf, I, James McCloud, the former leader of Star Fox, shall also give assistance," James nodded as he tapped the wolf's shoulder. "I owe you everything… and I know it'll be painful if such event occurs… Anyway, has Wolf, Leon, and Panther already landed here?"

"Why'd you ask?" Lupina questioned them. "I thought they were with you…"

"Well, those guys probably have their reasons for not coming," Falco suddenly hissed with glee. "I mean, except for Leon, Wolf and Panther were evolved, and if you ask me, I think they're trying to readjust back to their normal lives now that they're… normal."

"So you're telling us that you wanted to take a break?" Slippy laughed. "Sorry, birdbrain, but it won't work!" The two suddenly quarreled to the ground.

_PING_

"Huh? A message?" Eagle noted the people around. "Guys, let's head back to Space Den. A message has just arrived."

* * *

Back at the bridge, everybody paid attention to the new message. It came from Gen. Lupine, another general of TERRA Squad. If you might ask, he's Lupina's father.

"Galaxy Wulf," he began in a fast pace, "and you must be Star Fox of Lylat System. I am General Lupine Klaus, one of the generals in TERRA Squad, and the appointed head of planet Colonium, but enough introductions! This is urgent! We just received a note, or more like a threat, from the kidnapper Artemis. The message contains her new deal, and… well… see for yourself…" A screen appeared and played the message.

_Greetings, TERRA Squad! It's me again, and well, I am bored! Forget the ransom date being long! I want it within two hours! And guess what…_

It showed a raccoon chained to a wall with a metal headband. By the looks of his face, he was one of the commanders who were kidnapped. Stripped leaving only with his shorts, his body revealed wounds and scratches.

_I've decided to show you an example of my evolution trick! Unlike your cliché ways of transforming a life form, I have devised mine! By simply inputting a specific wave pattern, I can evolve a person into something I want! Let's say, I want Cmd. Colt to be a high-pitched killer…_

The raccoon suddenly screamed out as electric waves were transmitted to his brain via the headband. He cried out for thirty seconds before it was removed from his head and his chains were released. After a few more seconds, his body started to evolve. As his anatomy expanded and bulked up, the fur on his back and on his tail slowly stiffened. Afterwards, he was just like an evolved person back at Lylat, only this time he looked dangerous. Cmd. Colt growled out, making the place shake.

_He's mine now! By simply using those waves to permanently alter the brain, the pituitary gland does the changes to the anatomy while the altered brain changes his personality, thoughts, everything! That's one down and five to go, and that's counting Mr. Lupus McWolf! I want 20,000,000 DL in my account within 1 hour, not 2 hours anymore! Please fail so that I can change them into…_

Before the message was finished, Wulf cut it off. "General," he replied with a slight sign of terror, "whatever happens, don't do the ransom… I'll save them… I won't let this happen to him… to them…"

"Are you sure, McWolf?" Lupine asked for clarification. "We want to help you, too…"

"Dad, I think Wulf knows what he's doing," Lupina insisted. "You can help us though, by keeping your ears up and getting ready for our help call."

"Very well, then… Just, just be careful…"

As the general logged, off, Bark and the others were now clarified. "So that's why it's _incurable_," he noted to them. "The body itself allowed change because the brain was now under her influence… It cannot be cured by an antidote…"

"Then that just means we have to act now," Wulf ordered out with his heart.

Star Fox however, looked at him as a son wanting to save his father. Falco, Peppy, James, Slippy, and Fox could see his anguish hiding behind the responsible look…

* * *


End file.
